The majority of children now a days use or own a device that can access the internet and so it is important that at home and at school they are taught how to keep safe when using the internet for research or educational gaming.

When pupils are using the internet at school there are safeguards in place to prevent them from accessing inappropriate content but no system is fool proof and so it is important to explain to pupils that if they come across anything of this nature they tell an adult immediately.

Young children should not be able to access the internet without adult supervision but with older pupils this is not always possible. With older pupils it is essential to instil in them the importance of keeping personal details such as names, ages and school and home addresses secret and also making them aware that websites may be biased in the information they provide.  

Discussions about the harm that online bullying can cause is a more recent necessity as this is becoming a real issue in some schools around the world. Although social media is now part of many pupils’ everyday lives it is vital that they realise the responsibility they face to use it appropriately when using it to communicate with friends.